465. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said, in his advice to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyah: “O my child! Do not encroach upon the right of your brother because of what is between you and him, because he whose rights you breach is not your brother.”5

466. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “How bad is it for a man, whom his brother recognizes his rights but he does not recognize the rights of his brother.”6

Based on the traditions mentioned on the manner of raising children, one of the upbringing methods of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) was greeting children. He has explicitly said that by this behaviour he wanted this custom to continue in the society. He (s.a.w.) said: “There are five things which I do not abandon till I die and (one of them) is greeting children so that it can remain a custom after me.”7

However, it can be gathered from the traditions narrated in this chapter that all Muslims should precede each other in greeting, especially it being the duty of the young greeting the elder.

Little contemplation will clarify that these narrations are not in conflict, but they are complementary to each other and it is best to practice all of them.

This means that the duty of every person in the Islamic society is to precede in the greeting, but etiquette requires that the younger greet the older, but if for any reason the younger person delays or hesitates to greet the elder one, the elder has an upbringing duty to greet the younger one and thereby making him understand his shortcomings and faults. This action, especially in respect to children, has a better upbringing effect, and this is why the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) used to greet the children in order to attract the attention of his followers to the upbringing effects of honouring the personality of the child and respecting his feelings.

467. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “The young among you should take example of your elders, and the elders should be affectionate to the young ones. You should not be like the crude men of the Age of Ignorance who neither had the understanding of religion nor did they contemplate about Allah. It is like the egg of a viper that is found in the nest of an ostrich whose breaking is a sin and the little one that comes out of it is harmful.”8

468. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “The believers are brethren. They fulfil the needs of each other, and by fulfilling each other’s needs, Allah will fulfil their needs on Judgment Day.”9

469. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Allah will grant all the needs of he who seeks to fulfil the need of his brother.”10

470. al-Kafi, narrating from Safwan al-JammÁl who said: “I was sitting with Abu ‘Abdullah [al-Sadiq] (a.s.) when a man from Mecca named Maymun entered and complained about paying the rent of his animals. The Imam said to me: “Stand up and help your brother.”

So I stood up with him and Allah solved his problem of his rent, then I returned to my place [in the gathering]. Then Abu ‘Abdullah [al-Sadiq] (a.s.) said: “What did you do with the need of your brother?”

I said: “Allah solved it for him, may my parents be your ransom.”

He (a.s.) said: “Indeed helping your Muslim brother is more beloved for me than seven [recommended] circumambulations around the Ka’bah for the first time.”11

487. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “A believer is the brother of a believer. He protects him in his absence and guards his properties for him; and a believer is the mirror of the believer”.28

488. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “A believer is the mirror of his believing brother. When he is absent he wishes good for him, and when he is present he keeps away from him what he dislikes and he makes a place for him in a gathering.”29

489. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Speak about your brother in his absence in the best form, better than what you like to be mentioned about when you are absent from him.”30

500. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “Be moderate with people, honour scholars and ignore the faults of your brethren; for the Master of the first and the last (s.a.w.) has disciplined you with his saying: “Forgive he who has done injustice to you, keep ties with he who has cut his ties with you, and give to he who has deprived you.”41

502. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Do not scorn the faults of he who has come to you with his friendship, and do not hold against him his wrongs that he is ashamed of, for this is not of the morals of the Messenger of Allah or of the morals of his friends.”43

503. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “The lowest of people is he who humiliates people.”44

504. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Whoever hurts a believer has hurt me, and whoever hurts me surely has hurt Allah, and whoever hurts Allah is cursed in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalm and the Qur’an.”45

505. The Prophet (s.a.w.)said, concerning the rights of a neighbour: “When you buy fruit, gift some to him, and if you do not want to do so, carry it [into the house] secretly and do not let your child come outside with it, lest the feelings of his children become hurt.”46

506. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “By Allah, the righteous are victorious. Do you know who they are? They are those who do not even hurt a small ant.”47

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